Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-V), Doha, Qatar, 5-9 March 2023
African LDCs: From Declarations to Actions
The concept of LDCs originated in the late 1960s and the first group of LDCs was listed by the UN in its resolution 2768 (XXVI) on 18 November 1971.
Since 1981, every 10 years, United Nations organize international conferences on Least Developed Countries. Heads of States, High officials, participants, from developed and least developed countries, make declarations and several commitments meant at addressing poverty challenges of least developed countries. Programmes of action and Declarations are made, to confirm these commitments. 42 years later, results achieved so far are very weak.
From 26 (16 in Africa), in 1971, LDCs are now, in 2023, 46 (33 in Africa). The 46 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) comprise about 14% of the global population. Their contribution to the world production was less than 0.9%, meaning that one-seventh of the world population contributes less than 1% to the global GDP.
They are some of the poorest and most vulnerable economies in the world.
LDCs account for only 1.3% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), receive just 1.4% of total foreign direct investment and trade under 1% of world merchandise exports.
Ten-Year Conferences for Declarations and Comitments
In September 1981, the First United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries was organized, in Paris, during which the international community adopted the Special New Programme of Action (SNPA) for LDCs for the 1980s,a programme that includedinternational support measures. At the Paris Conference, developed countries and relevant international organizations were requested to provide substantial assistance to these countries to overcome their poverty. In that context, OECD countries committed to allocate, at least, 0.7% of their Gross National Income (GNI) to development aid.
In September 1990, the Second UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-II) was organized, in Paris. At the conference, the international community committed to the improvement of the international economic climate and to the integration of the least developed countries into the international trading system so, as to associate them better with the benefits of trade expansion. The final declaration stated that: “In an increasingly interdependent world, the maintenance or deepening of the gap between the rich and poor nations contains serious seeds of tension. Our world will not enjoy lasting peace without respect for the United Nations Charter, international commitments and shared development”.
In May 2001, the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-III) was held, in Brussels, and was hosted by the European Union. It adopted the Brussels Declaration and the Brussels Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2001–2010. At that conference, participants “committed to the eradication of poverty and the improvement of the quality of lives of people in LDCs by strengthening their abilities to build a better future for themselves and develop their countries”. The target of development assistance to LDCs was, then, revised from 0.7% of GNI to 0.15% or 0.20 %, as ODA to LDCs. They also committed to “provide the full financing and the speedy and effective implementation of the enhanced HIPC Initiative, which is essential for freeing domestic budgetary resources for poverty reduction”. They also undertake to provide debt relief to post conflict countries within the flexibility provided under the HIPC framework.
In May 2001, the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-III) was held, in Brussels, and was hosted by the European Union. It adopted the Brussels Declaration and the Brussels Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2001–2010. At that conference, participants “committed to the eradication of poverty and the improvement of the quality of lives of people in LDCs by strengthening their abilities to build a better future for themselves and develop their countries”. The target of development assistance to LDCs was, then, revised from 0.7% of GNI to 0.15% or 0.20 %, as ODA to LDCs. They also committed to “provide the full financing and the speedy and effective implementation of the enhanced HIPC Initiative, which is essential for freeing domestic budgetary resources for poverty reduction”. They also undertake to provide debt relief to post conflict countries within the flexibility provided under the HIPC framework.
Ten years later, in May 2011, was organized the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV), in Istanbul. The Conference adopted the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020, along with the Istanbul Declaration.
In the introduction to the Istanbul Programme of Action, Member States noted that:
“...more than 75 per cent of the least developed countries’ population still live in poverty. It is a matter of deep concern to the international community that only three countries have graduated out of this category so far in the past three decades."
In remarks to the media at the opening of the Istanbul Conference, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said:
Ten years later, in May 2011, was organized the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV), in Istanbul. The Conference adopted the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020, along with the Istanbul Declaration.
In the introduction to the Istanbul Programme of Action, Member States noted that:
“...more than 75 per cent of the least developed countries’ population still live in poverty. It is a matter of deep concern to the international community that only three countries have graduated out of this category so far in the past three decades."
In remarks to the media at the opening of the Istanbul Conference, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said:
From the analysis above, it appears that since the first conference in 1981 to-date, LDCs have not seen any improvement in reducing extreme poverty and economic transformation, despite several commitments and declarations.
In the same context, the United Nations is organizing the 5th Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-V), in Doha, Qatar, from 5 to 9 March 2023, and the conference will, certainly, adopt another ambitious Programme of Action for LDCs and the Doha Declaration.
Other programmes for Africa’s development.
In 1986, 5 years after the first conference on LDCs, Javier Perez De Cuellar, then Secretary General of the UN, proposed, for the economic recovery and Africa’s development, “the Five UN Action Plan”. In 1990, after the failure of the 5-year plan, another 10-year programme was adopted, the United Nations New Agenda for Africa’s Development”, that was adopted by the General Assembly in 1989, for the decade 1990-2000.
In 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), for 15 years (2000-2015), with the key objective of reduction by half the proportion of persons under the poverty level of 1.25$ per person and per day, by 2015. In that framework, in 2000, UNCTAD alerted the international community that « if the international community wishes to help Sub-Saharan Africa achieve reduce poverty by 2015 and achieve a growth rate of, at least, 6%, it will need to increase external resources by 50 to 150% by 2015 ».
In that context, the international community committed to adopt another plan for Africa, support NEPAD, by providing more resources for the implementation of its programmes, increasing measures of African countries debt relief, by offering new commercial prospects, and other forms of assistance. In 2015, at the expiration of MDGs, the assessment was, once again, disappointing. Despite the fact that the proportion of people living under the poverty line had decreased, from 56% to 48%, between 1999 and 2012, the absolute number of people suffering from hunger had increased from 290 to 412 million, and that 200 million of children were malnourished.
In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted another programme, the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on foreign private capital. The Agenda contains 17 goals. During 15 years from 2015, the world committed to achieve the challenge of building a better world that is just, rights-based, equitable and inclusive. It committed to work together to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental protection and to benefit all, including women, children, youth and future generations. As highlighted by UNCTAD, “LDCs are the battleground on which the 2030 Agenda will be won or lost”.
The goals are themselves complex, and many have concerns that they cover broad areas that will become cumbersome for the UN to track over the next twenty years. Some argue that the goals are too difficult to communicate to ordinary citizens, and will therefore be hard to monitor at national and local levels.
As several reviews have revealed, Africa LDCs missed the MDGs. They are missing SDGs. They missed all additional programmes adopted for Africa. What are the expectations of African leaders for the 5th Conference on LDCs?
